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The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is the sole seminary of the Reconstructionist movement. Founded in 1968 to serve the Jewish people and the wider world, RRC is dedicated to teaching Judaism as an evolving religious civilization and to engaging with the riches of Jewish tradition to create meaning, connect to the sacred and bring individuals and communities to greater love, justice and peace.

 

Social Justice Organizing

We teach rabbinical students the practical skills and theological background to create a more socially just, environmentally sustainable and spiritually fulfilling society. Learn more 

Multifaith Studies

We have long pioneered multifaith learning. It is crucial in today’s world that rabbis have the tools to build relationships and alliances with other religious communities. Learn more 

Spirituality

Becoming a rabbi entails many kinds of growth. Our Spiritual Direction program cultivates an experiential faith that accompanies students as they discern the way the divine emerges uniquely for each person. Learn more 

What kind of rabbi do you want to be?

Becoming a rabbi is a process that encompasses deep intellectual, spiritual and professional growth. As part of a close-knit and deeply engaged community, you’ll become steeped in Jewish texts, history, ritual, and practice, while gaining a wide range of skills through immersive field experience. Upon graduation, you will be ready to serve the Jewish people as a rabbi — deeply rooted in the richness of Jewish tradition and responsive to the experiences, needs and aspirations of evolving Jewish communities. We invite you to be part of a generation of rabbis who truly meet people where they are.

Explore Titles & Degree Programs 

Learn more about our partner organization, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the professional association of Reconstructionist Rabbis.

Latest News

Lila Corwin Berman

Power to Which People? American Jewish Philanthropy & Democracy

The fellowship is meant to honor of the work of two retired faculty member: Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, RRC ‘85, who started RRC’s social justice organizing program, and Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Ph.D., RRC ‘82, who pioneered the college’s approach to multifaith studies.

As part of the fellowship, Plevan also will be taking part in a March 20 panel discussion, “Democracy and Judaism: Does One Need the Other to Thrive?”, organized by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood and A More Perfect Union: Jewish Partnership for Democracy (register here.) Democracy comes up in many of Plevan’s classes at RRC, particularly a course examining democracy and Jewish sources. He said to expect fall programming in advance of the 2024 elections.

Taken together, the fellowship will explore and champion how Reconstructionism teaches that participatory democracy is vital for religious flourishing.

“For many people, religious pluralism means keeping religion outside of the public realm,” said Plevan. “That wasn’t Kaplan’s view at all. He taught that what a thriving democracy needs is having different kinds of peoples and traditions and ideas contributing to public life.”

Read More →
Lila Corwin Berman

Power to Which People? American Jewish Philanthropy & Democracy

The fellowship is meant to honor of the work of two retired faculty member: Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, RRC ‘85, who started RRC’s social justice organizing program, and Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Ph.D., RRC ‘82, who pioneered the college’s approach to multifaith studies.

As part of the fellowship, Plevan also will be taking part in a March 20 panel discussion, “Democracy and Judaism: Does One Need the Other to Thrive?”, organized by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood and A More Perfect Union: Jewish Partnership for Democracy (register here.) Democracy comes up in many of Plevan’s classes at RRC, particularly a course examining democracy and Jewish sources. He said to expect fall programming in advance of the 2024 elections.

Taken together, the fellowship will explore and champion how Reconstructionism teaches that participatory democracy is vital for religious flourishing.

“For many people, religious pluralism means keeping religion outside of the public realm,” said Plevan. “That wasn’t Kaplan’s view at all. He taught that what a thriving democracy needs is having different kinds of peoples and traditions and ideas contributing to public life.”

Read More →

Course Spotlight: Rabbis in Social Movements

When Rabbi Alex Weissman applied to rabbinical school in 2011, he estimates that there were just a handful of rabbis working at social-justice organizations. Fast-forward a dozen years and that number now exceeds several dozen — too many for Weissman to name.

Why the dramatic shift? Many advocacy organizations now recognize the role that clergy can play in helping activists maintain spiritual and emotional health. (Burnout is all too common among people trying to fix a broken world.) Additionally, many progressive organizations have sought to reclaim the moral, prophetic voice, refusing to surrender the religious label to political and cultural conservatives, says Weissman.

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Shir Hadash chosen for new rabbinic internship program

Shira Singelenberg is a native of Bethesda, Md. She said she grew up in an environment that fostered curiosity and questioning and one in which Shabbat dinner was a revered and memorable time. She received her BA degree from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where she majored in history with a minor in medieval and early studies.

Read More →
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Reconstructing Judaism: the central organization of the groundbreaking, always-evolving Reconstructionist movement. We help build thriving Jewish communities, empower individuals to lead lives of deeper meaning and purpose, train rabbis who make a difference, and work to bring about a more just and sustainable world.

Ritualwell is the most extensive online resource curating original, progressive Jewish rituals. We foster a supportive online community for those seeking to make Jewish practice their own.

Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations is a multimedia project highlighting the most cutting-edge thinking in the Reconstructionist movement and wider Jewish world. Through essays, podcasts, and web conversations, Evolve models nuanced dialogue and respectful disagreement while probing urgent questions.

The Reconstructionist Network